(Marvel Comics Presents I#108/2 (fb) ) - The Nuadu host's spirit entered the underworld, and he came to rule a dark corner of it.

(Thor & Hercules: Encyclopedia Mythologica) - The former host went mad over the years and started to believe that he was the true Nuadu.

(Marvel Comics Presents I#108/2 (fb) ) - He carefully cultivated a small group of followers to do his bidding. His followers forged three stones to absorb strong human emotions, and then planted them in an area with a high concentration of those feelings: the Middle East. The stones were to remain buried, charging themselves with power until Nauda was ready.

(Spectacular Spider-Man Annual#8/2 - BTS) - The Young God Daydreamer sensed an alien presence buried in the hills outside Jerusalem. Six of their number, Bright Sword, Daydreamer, Genii, Harvest, Mindsinger, and Varua traveled to Jerusalem to investigate and were confronted by the construct made to safeguard the stones. The Young Gods merged into the Uni-Mind, and sealed off the anger which empowered the construct, causing it to explode. They felt the presence of a "rogue god," but were unable to make any further discoveries regarding the constructs origin or purpose.

(MCP#101/2-105/2-BTS, 106/2-109/2)-Following the destruction of the construct, Nauda's followers realized that the power of the Stones had to be divided for safekeeping, to maximize the energy received, and to increase the chances of success. One was placed in Northern Ireland, one in Central Bend, Wisconsin, and one in the island of Sri Lanka. Eventually the stones were filled with power, and Nauda prepared to have them brought back to him

Sea Witch, another of the Young Gods, had a vision of Nauda's forces. She convinced the other Young Gods, who convinced the Celestials to allow them to oppose the malevolent force she had felt.
The Young Gods split up. Cadueceus, High Note, Moonstalker, and Sea Witch traveled to Northen Ireland, where they first defeated some terrorists, who were agents of the Tuatha de Danann. The Young Gods forced the terrorists to direct them to the celtic burial mound which was the source of the power they had detected. A large creature of the Earth emerged from the burial mound and attacked them, but Sea Witch succeeded in destroying it via rapid erosion form a torrential downpour. The four Young Gods claimed the stone.
Daydreamer, Genii, Harvest, and Mindsinger traveled to a shopping mall in Central Bend, Wisonsin. Harvest sensed a disturbance in the wheat fields outside, and she and Genii were attacked by a legion of reanimated corpses. Meanwhile, the other two Young Gods were attacked by the shoppers, who were under a spell. Both groups of Young Gods overcame their attackers, and unearthed and claimed the stone which had caused the attacks.
Bright Sword, Calculus, Splice, and Varua went to Sri Lanka, where they tracked the power to a temple. They were attacked by an animated statue of a bull, which Brightsword destroyed. However, they were abushed and captured by the villagers in the temple, who were agents of Nauda. The four Gods were taken to Nauda
The remaining eight Young Gods, having lost contact with the group in Sri Lanka, traveled to the temple to investigate. Daydreamer made contact with Nauda and they journeyed to his base beneath the burial mound in Ireland. Nauda, having siphoned the life force from the Young Gods who were his prisoners, demanded the other two stoens or he would destroy them.

Daydreamer surrendered the stones to Nauda, who then bound the rest of them to the wall of his cavern. He gloated about his origins and plans (as villains are wont to do), but soon found that the stones were actually fakes created by Daydreamer. The Young Gods broke free and attacked him and his legion of skeletal warriors. Bright Sword confronted Nauda himself, but was overpowered and stabbed through the chest. Harvest bound Nauda in vines, while Varua merged the others into the Uni-Mind. The Uni-Mind attacked Nauda, who vanished, screaming, in a burst of light.

Comments: Created by Gerry Conway and Tom Sutton.

The Marvel Comics Presents at this time featured 4 eight page stories, 2 of which started from the back, and 2 from the front. It's subjective where you rank the story, but I'm calling it the second.

The only way a mystical character like Nauda would stay dead is if no writers have any interest in him. Which is the way it is.

Cool origin...sort of falls apart somewhere, though...and very anticlimactic finish.

So how long ago would it have to be to be before man walked the Earth? Hasn't man been around, in some form, for a million years? Just curious.

I don't know if Conway planned on ever elaborating on all the groups/characters mentioned in Nauda's origin...but he didn't.

I think before receiving his prosthesis, he was known as Nauda of the Normal Hand.

The young Gods are kind of predictable. Much like "Whatever knows Fear...Burns at the touch of the Man-Thing," whatever overpowers the Young Gods gets obliterated by the Uni-Mind.

Supplemental information courtesy of our Master of Mythology William Uchtman:
"Nuadhu was a Celtic god who was also ruler of Ireland. Probably most likely ancestor of the Tuatha da Danaan, he was deposed by the Fomorians. Sreng met him on battle and cut off his hand. The Fomorians then took over the same way the Titans overthrew Uranus. The Fomorians intermingled a lot with the Danaans so they must be their ancestors the same way the Titans were for the Olympians. Contrary to the Marvel Comic, the Fir Bholg were not gods, but mortals forced to worship the Fomorians as gods. The Tuatha Da Danaan took over as the Olympians did over the Titans and took control of Ireland and England. However, the Milesian race which invaded over the Fir Bholg refused to worship the Danaans since they brought Christianity to the region and the Celtic gods/Danaans were driven underground. To make any sense of the Marvel Comic, I would think that Nauda was something else than a god and was more like Apocalypse--an entity purporting to be a god. Another tidbit, Magh Tuireadth would not be a base of operations as it was the name of a battlefield, such as Shiloh or Dardania to the Trojans
The Tuatha de Danaan (Danann) and the Celtic/Gaul Gods are one and the same just as the Greek Gods are Olympians and the norse are Asgardians. This tendency goes through most of the fifteen pantheons. Also, Nuadhu is the right spelling. I'm not sure of the figure in the Infinity Gauntlet story as having not seen it, but it could be two figures based on one deity. His full name is actually Nuadhu Airgedlamh (Celtic for Nuadhu of the Silver Hand)."

So, Nauda could either be:
1) Nuadhu, the actual Celtic God, who eventually went bad or rogue. I'm told that Nuadhu would be somewhat comparable to Ouranos of the Olympians--a father figure, but not the ruler.
If this is the case, then he either had to somehow atone for his ways and return to Avalon in a very short time, or the Nuada seen in the Infinity Gauntlet was the Dagda, taking his form for the purposes of the meeting.

2) A dark aspect of Nuadhu, much like Professor X's Entity form (which seemingly went on to become Onslaught). With the dark aspect destroyed, Nuadhu returned to his true form, and went on to be seen in the Infinity Gauntlet.

3) A poser--human, demon, god, or otherwise, who adopted the form and history of Nuadhu for himself. In which case, the true Nuadhu is first seen in the Infinity Gauntlet.

At any rate, then he either:
--a)

Clarifications:
Nuada, the Celtic Sky God, @ Infinity Gauntlet#2...(see comments)--I'd say Nauda of the Silver Hand took his name from the sky god...although they're both spelled wrong.

I presume the Tuatha de Danann led in milennia past by Nauda are the ancestors of the Tuatha de Danaan from MCP#22/3. They could be some divergent branch, since they're all werewolves in that story. (see above comments, as well)

I also believe the Fomorians mentioned by Nauda would be the same race as the Fomor from Avengers#225+226, and who are enemies of Leir and the modern Celtic Gods (from some Thor issue), and from the first Black Knight limited series...studying for boards, too lazy to dig them all up!

images: (without ads)
Marvel Comics Presents#109, p9 (main image)